NEWS

Jerusalem Synagogue Attack: Is The Coverage Fair?

As with nearly every story involving Palestinian-Israeli violence, the international media is under scrutiny for what critics say is slanted coverage.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Few issues draw accusations of media bias like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

When a terrorist attack at a Jerusalem synagogue made front-page news around the world Tuesday, the international media took some heat for what some saw as slanted coverage.

We'll start with this graphic that appeared in a CNN report. It used the word "mosque" to describe the "synagogue" where the attack took place. An innocent mistake, maybe, but critics call it another example of a pro-Palestinian bias.

Then there was this graphic from the network, reading: "4 Israelis, 2 Palestinians" dead— arguably a bit misleading when you consider the two Palestinians were not victims, but knife-wielding murderers, according to police. (Video via CNN)

Similarly, this tweet from The New York Times read: "Four Killed in Jerusalem Synagogue Complex."

As one pro-Israeli media watchdog group writes, the problem is: "The casual reader who only skims headlines is missing the two critical elements a headline is supposed to convey: who (Palestinians) and what (killed)."

BBC ANCHOR: "Sorry, we don't actually want to see that picture. If you can take that down ... "

After Tuesday's attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond harshly. He blamed Hamas as well as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for inciting the violence. In a statement of his own, Abbas condemned the attack.